South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-10-07
NO VERDICT
TIE JURY IN THE OFFNEH
CASE DISAGREE. AND ARE
DISCHARGED.
The Prisoners Account Of tho
Killing --All the Testimony
in the Casc-Will Have
Now Trial.

hoC OooC- w Ill txaN0
New Trial.
In the Offner murder trial We,lnes.
day DR.. q. T. Daley. Who made .
pcst mortem examination OF the d, /.
ceased testified that fhe weapon must
Lave heen above Brooke when firei.
~ the ball ranged downward. Hc
vac shot at very close range, 80 The
side OF HE head vas blac tenei with
powder.
James n. 0ibsou. magistrate, held
an inquest on tho deceased. There
were few Cal tridge %, . handkerchief
and about fifteen .nts ia money In
bis pockets. Il wa reported II The
time OF the murder that Brooks had
$25 Saturday night before he was K H.
ed. which WAS missiOg v hon his boz
was diec' vcied
VIM Birrett, merchant. who lives
at Augusta, 8 miles east of q e. tes-
tiled that Brooks stopped at his store
3 miles from Others house, late Sat.
urday evening before he was killed.
and bought large quantity Of cakes
than one person could eat.
Tho State here rested the case at
about noon. The frat witness for
the defense was Ann Offner herself.
Every eye in the room was rivetad
upon the prisoner as she took her place
upon the witness stand, and began To
testify In her own behalf. Her tes-
t!mony in full is this: ''On Sunday
morning. August 1. 1886, l went fo-
the cows. Did not know there was u
soul about thore until. M l went into
the pine thicket short distance
Brooks jumped up and took hold OF
the b:idle. and then caught me by the
arm and said he had mo where he
wanted me, and intended to XII me.
de tried to pull me off the horse. lie
reached around az II he was going to
&c: his revolver. He had hold OF tho
horse when l shot him. had the
revolver sticking in between the but
tons Of my dress. My horse gave
terrible snort, made one long leap,
and then bounded out Of the thicket
in headlong gal'oo. lie wheeled
very suddenly, almost c'ean around,
when the pistol cracked. When about
half way down the field | got the
horse check. ID up. turned down the
hollow by the spring AMI rode on to.
wa.ds home. did no. sec Peter
Bowman ill turned up tie fence.
When got to the barn I told moth-
er had killed Brooks" A PROPOSE
ton to prove that she offered to give
herself uS, was ruled ou'. The wit
moss continued event with father
and mother 10 where Brooks was kill
cd. When we returned to the house
father went over to George Hainea's
| had been carrying the pistol for the
last five or six years. On the day
before had seen q flock Of turkeys
in that field and thought would get
shot at them. Saw Brooks about
month before that lay, but was not
close TO him. The last saw OF him
he was going down in the woods to-
wards our house. Peter Bowman
informed mo that Brooks was in the
barn and had :old him not to let IN,
know 1t. / went over and stayed all
night at Sanders. Jake Hines had
told me o month or so before that
Brooks hal told him that IL he stay
cd at fathers he would co ne there 10
spill blood. I was q frien: of him
and so went over there to Sanders.
John star;e ov r To stay at our house
that night as q guard against Brooks,
and | remained at his house until
about dark. / then went homo.
had not seen Brooks TO talk TO him
since came home from Maryland in
December before that. started
home on Friday and stopped at Geo.
Illness and stayed all night, and next
morning Brooks cam, and said he
knew | was there by the little dog.
We then started for home. and Wien
we we're about where he was killed
he drew his knife and said be would
Kill me If ! did not go back with him.
We then went on to Jake Illness
aud then TO Benjamin Illness. aud
then TO his aunIs. After Brooks
had been there about three months
We went to Cumberland. lie went
down the street 70 get our marriage
license and came back with a stran-
ger. tie went over 80 the bridge. the
party performed the ceremony. and
we came home that day. We stayed
9 week at fathers and then went down
10 harness mill, and some time after.
ward TO Jake Illness. Hines told
me NO were not married. ssked
Brooks about IL. Tie first denied IL.
but finally admitted that we we're not
married. told Brooks Il be would
let me go home ! would come right
back. did not intend, however, TO
do this. About three weeks otter
that | got as far as George Illness !:
LETT bim aud came home. saw him
once after l got home, goisg over to-
wards Peter Bowman's, wheu he to1k
hold Of me and the bride. His ex-
preston was very Savage; never
saw such looks"
The Officer mufier trial was re-
sumed Thursday morning at 9 o'clock
With Reuben OGnoJ father Of Ann
Ofoer, the prisoner, on the witness
stand. When told TO state what he
knew about the case he said: Il rec
ollect the day BENZ. Brooks wss found